In general, aircraft surfaces may be susceptible to deformation during flight. Surface deformation of an aircraft surface may affect or alter an aerodynamic characteristic(s), which can reduce aircraft performance. For example, deformation of aircraft surfaces may affect (e.g., reduce) lift, engine efficiency, etc., and/or may cause compressor stall or engine flameout. For example, vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft are fixed-wing aircraft that can lift off, land and/or hover vertically, and can transition from a vertical hover mode to a horizontal flight mode. In some instances, an aerodynamic surface or inlet of such an aircraft, when hovering over certain ground materials and combined with particular atmospheric conditions (e.g., wet sand, moisture content), can be exposed to particulate that cause damage to the aerodynamic surfaces and/or an engine of the aircraft.